Romans 3:23-25 English Standard Version

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

Justification is a bookkeeping term, going from the red into the black. Jesus put us in the black, having paid our debt. Given that retailers are hoping for holiday sales to pull them out of the red and put them in the black on their balance sheets it is understandable why Black Friday became what it has become. That however is not how the term came into existence.

“The first recorded use of the term “Black Friday” was applied not to post-Thanksgiving holiday shopping but to financial crisis: specifically, the crash of the U.S. gold market on September 24, 1869. Two notoriously ruthless Wall Street financiers, Jay Gould and Jim Fisk, worked together to buy up as much as they could of the nation’s gold, hoping to drive the price sky-high and sell it for astonishing profits. On that Friday in September, the conspiracy finally unraveled, sending the stock market into free-fall and bankrupting everyone from Wall Street barons to farmers.” Source history.com

At this time of year there are traditions that are held which may have such a long standing history that the original meaning has been lost. The term Black Friday serves to remind us that external interests often have long standing influences over our traditions and origins can be easily forgotten.

It falls on each of us to understand what we celebrate and why we celebrate in order for it to be meaningful. If it is to honor mother and father, fine, but do we understand how their traditions came into existence?

Colossians 2:6-7 English Standard Version

Alive in Christ

⁶ Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

Following up yet again with yesterday’s traditions, the verse of the day again mentions thanksgiving. For some this will be the focal point, but not for everyone. God brings to us what we need to hear and some will ponder some issue here that are not about Thanksgiving.

“So walk in Him.” What does that look like to each of us as we study God’s Word? Does it feel like putting on a suit of armor for protection because at heart we are warriors? Not everyone thinks that way but some might. Maybe some see an Avatar, an identity to hide behind like an alter-ego. That image is game play and might not fit everyone’s understanding.

Since it is Thanksgiving Day and many are busy preparing for this celebration why even bother mentioning anything other than this holiday?

God is the God of all days and does not stop loving His children just because their attention is focused elsewhere. There will be some that are troubled in various ways and giving thought to other things might be a relief from their troubles.

This is my first Thanksgiving without a home of my own. I am not homeless but living in someone else’s home sort of feels like living in Christ. I am not alone. I have loved ones all around me and I am grateful for the love that is given. I can be myself but I am always mindful of being respectful of my benefactor.

We are establishing ourselves, like being rooted. Living with others is a bonding experience, like being built up in Him. Making my presence known is like establishing my faith. So this Thanksgiving is like the verse of the day in ways I did not expect.

Thanks be to God in my present circumstance.